Horry still out, Van Exel starts

Robert Horry was out for the fourth straight game when the Spurs played the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday at the AT&T Center. He is also expected to miss Wednesday’s road against the Hornets in Oklahoma City due to a lower abdominal strain.

Horry has a lower abdominal strain. The 6-foot-10 veteran forward is averaging 5.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

Nick Van Exel started at guard in what has been Manu Ginobili’s usual spot. Michael Finley and Brent Barry have also started in that spot while Ginobili has been out with an injury.

Ginobili is out due to a right ankle sprain. This will mark the 12th time in 42 Spurs games this season that Ginobili has been out with an injury. The 6-6 guard averaged 14.8 points in his last five games before being injured.

Van Exel played 17 minutes. He had three assists but did not take a shot and didn’t score.

On what turned out not to be a big deal, Tony Parker was hit in the face by a rebound as the Spurs were warming up about 11 minutes before game time. He stopped shooting and stood by himself near midcourt for a few minutes. Teammates Van Exel, Tim Duncan and Beno Udrih went to check on him.

With about nine minutes left before game time, Parker went into the tunnel toward the locker room. He returned just before tipoff. Parker said after the game it was just a “bump on the head.”

Melvin Ely (right ankle sprain) and Gerald Wallace (medial tibia bone bruise) are both hurt also. Wallace, Okafor and Rush are the team’s top three scorers on the season. Ely played and scored nine points.